Doula Initiative
Reclaiming traditional ways for Indigenous communities and cultivating positive birth and parenting practices
What is a Doula?
Doulas are trained birth workers who provide non-clinical emotional, physical, and informational support to pregnant people and their families before, during, and after birth. A doula is a birth professional whose goal is to help families have a safe, healthy and positive birth experience.
Families hire doulas to help navigate childbirth, and their support has been proven to be a safe and cost-effective intervention to improve birth outcomes. Doula services have been shown to positively impact the social determinants of health, support birth equity, and decrease existing health and racial disparities.
What are we doing?
Miigwech, Inc. is a community partner with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association, and Focus Hope for the new Doula Medicaid Reimbursement policy, enacted January 1st, 2023. In this role, we provide technical assistance to any rural Indigenous providers, walking them through registering with the state of Michigan and helping them navigate the spaces of Medicaid reimbursement. Within this scope of work, we also advocate for policy change that brings back birthing ceremony and postpartum care to our community.
